Improvement in processes and apparatus for the storage of electricity



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. THOMSON & E. J. HOUSTON. Process and Apparatus for the Storage ofElectricity.

No. 220,948. Patented Oct. 28,1879.

Invenlvrs 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. E. THOMSON & E. J. HOUSTON. Process andApparatus for the Storage of Electricity.

Patented Oct. 28, I879.

N- PETERS. PHOTD-UTHQGRAPHEYL WAS} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE= ELIIIUTHOMSO) AND EDWIN J. HOUSTON, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD OF THEIR RIGHT TOTHOMAS H.

UOOOLLIN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE 0F ELECTRICITY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,948, dated October28, 1879; application tiled May 21, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELIHU THOMSON and EDWIN J. IIOUSTON, both of thecity and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain Process and Apparatus for the Storage of Electricity,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description and we dohereby declare that the same is a full, clear, and exact description ofour said invention, which will enable any person skilled in the art towhich our invention pertains to use, make, and practice the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The objects of our invention are to provide a means for storingelectricity developed by dynamo-electric machines; to provide means forproperly controlling the working of such machines, so as to preventdemagnetization or reversal of magnetic polarity both in starting andstopping said machine when used in connection with a storage-battery, toprovide means to insure at all times the running of a dynamo-electricmachine with its proper external resistance, and thus avoid damage to itand otherparts of the apparatus that would otherwise result; to providemeans for charging the storage-battery while said battery is.

furnishing current, and also to provide means, by the combination of adymnno-electric machine and storage-battery, for procuring anelectro-motive force greatly in excess of that which the machine aloneis capable of producing.

The object of our invention may be stated, generally, to be to so employa dynamo-electric machine under circumstances where the power used todrive the machine is intermittent or subject to fluctuations as toobtain an electrical current suitable to the pertorinance of workrequiring such current to be uninterrupted, or of nearly constantelectro-motive force.

The purposes to which we apply our invention are chiefly as follows: Inlight-houses a dynamo-electric machine is provided, operated by suitablemotive power at intervals during the day, the electricity from which ismade, as provided by our invention, to charge storagebatteries, whosecurrent is finally employed, eitherin conjunction with saiddynamo'eleetric machine or separate therefroi'n, to operate suitableelectrical-light sources.

In railroadengineering a dynamo-electric machine is similarly run by themotion of the train, or the motive power derived from thelocomotive-engine, to charge, as provided by our invention,storage-batteries placed under the train, and employed, when needed, forthe operation of the head-light or other illuminating device, forelectric-signal apparatus, or for other purpose.

In steamships part of the motive power is employed at intervals to drivea dynamo-elem tric machine, whose current is, as provided by ourinvention, employed to charge storagebatteries, the current from whichoperates the signal or other lights employed.

In maiiufaetories, where the motive power is subject to interruptions,our invention provides a means of sustaining during said interruptionsthe illuminating power of the elec-v tric lamps employed therein.

Our invention is also applicable to the operation of dynamo-electricmachines in conjunction with systems of telegraphic signaling.

In our system we employ a dynamo-electric machine in connection with apeculiarly-constructed switch and resistance-coils attached thereto, anda safety electromagnetic circuit opener, and in connection with astorage-battery embodying the principles of our Letters Patent forvoltaic-battery cells, of even date herewith.

In certain cases we employ besides the above peculiarly-constructed commutators, to bel1creinat'ter described.

\Ve have found it necessary in charging a storage-battery by means of adynamo-electric machine to bring said machine to its full 11ermalcondition as to developing current before makingattachment to saidstorage-hattery, since otherwise, should such storage-battery possessslight residual currentprodueing power, the slight magnetism of thedynamoelectric machine would be reversed, and the current obtainedtherefrom caused to flow in a direction contrary to that desired in thecharging, or otherwise to defeat the object in view.

\Ve also find that inconveniences arise when the dynamo'electric machineis placed upon closed circuit without external resistance, so that itsmagnets may become highly charged before its current is transferred tothe storagebattery.

The inconveniences referred to are the excessive power required to 'movethe machine when 011 closed circuit, the danger of injury by heating orburning, and the injury to the terminals of the machine resultingfromthe extra spark when said terminals are transferred to the circuit ofthe storage-battery. If, also, during the operation of the machine, anysudden stoppage of motive power occurs, as would be the case if the beltdriving said machine should break or slip, the storagebattery beingpartly charged, a current would instantly flow through the machine,reversing its magnetism, giving its armature rotation in the oppositedirection, and upon once more giving it motion in the proper directionthe current, becoming the reverse of that required to charge thebattery, would undo the work already accomplished in said charging.These and other disadvantages are overcome by means of our invention.

In the further description of the invention which follows, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an extendedview of our conr plete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a section of thestorage-battery. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, one of the endplates being removed. Figs. at and 5 are exterior views ofstoragebatteries, showing special applications thereto, as hereinafterdescribed. Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, a side and an end view ofthe switch.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A represents a dynamo-electric machine; B, a storage-battery; O, theswitch and resistance; R, an electrical resistance, such as a coil ofwire or a strip of some partial conductor equal to the proper externalresistance for which the machine is normally used. A safetycircuit-opener, D, is also provided, the function of whiclrwill behereinafter described.

Galvanometers G G are interposed at con venient points in portions,respectively, of the circuit leading from the switch 0 to the machine Aand to the battery B, as shown.

The switch 0 consists, essentially, of a'movable rib of metal, P, inelectrical communication with one of the wires leading from the machineA, said wire being marked a a. The other wire from said machine is ledto one terminal or the storage-battery B, as shown at I) Z) I), but isbranched through the resistance R at c.

Metallic contactplates 1 2 3 at 5,01. any convenient number, areprovided. Plate 1 is attached to that extremity of the resistance 1% notattached. to the wire I) b b at c, and also through a resistance-coil,r, to a second plate, 2, and this latter through a resistance, r, to

plate 3, plate 3 to plate -i through 1', while the last two-viz., i and5-are insulated from each other.

The terminal (I d of the battery 13 has attached to it, in like manner,a set of conducting-plates, 7, 8,9, and 10, and resistances .s', s, and3, arranged in the inverse order to 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 10 being attachedto d d and to 9, S, and 7 through resistance-coils s, s, and s, while 6and 7 are insulated from each other.

Plates 5 and 6 may be omitted when so desired.

To secure the best results, the resistances r r r should be madeunequal, 0' being less than 1*, and 1' less than T, and should,together, be seve *al times that of R. Similarly, the resistances s, s,and s should increase in the order named.

If the metallic rib P be placed so that its extremities rest on theplates 1. and G, the battery B is cut out of the circuitof the machineA, and the resistance R is inserted. This po sition is given to theswitch on starting the machine A, and the current it develops reachesthat strength normal to it in passing through the resistance It, andthus the possibility of damage resulting from excessive current and fromthe excessive strain on the motive power, which would occur were theresist ance R not employed, is avoided. The rib l. is now moved so as tocome into contact successively with the plates 2 and 7, with 3 and S,with -l and 9, and, finally, with 5 and 19. At this moment theresistance Ibis completely removed from the circuit of the machine A,and the resistance of the storage-battery l3 substituted; and while thegradual. nature oi the transfer has prevented any considerable change inthe working condition of A, so also any burning of contacts in theswitch O has been avoided. The necessity of these precautions inoperating arises from the fact of the great intensity of the currentllowing and the length of conductor through which it passes.

1t, while the rib P is in contact witlrthe plate 10, any accidentalstoppage oi the machine A should occur, as from the breaking or slippingof the belt, the battery 13 then discharges itsclf through the machineA, giving it motion and reversing its magnets.

To avoid such a discharge of the battery 13, and consequent injury tothe machine A, an automatic circuit-opener, D, Fig. 1, is provided,consisting of an eleetro-magnet whose coils are in the circuit of themachine, and the motion of whose armature N toward the magnet D closesthe circuit a a. by bringing into contact the comlucting-points ff. Aspring is provided, so that on the weakening, by any cause, of thecurrents developed by the machine, the armature of the electro-magnet Dis released and the circuit broken at ff. hen desired, the armature N ofthe magnet D, instead of breaking the circuit of (a (t atfj", movesinstead, when actuated by a spring, the sliding piece P of the switch 0,so as to cause said sliding piece P to rest in contact with plates l and6, and thus remove the battery B from the circuit of the machine A. Thismodification of parts is hereinafter described in connection with Figs.6 and 7.

\Vhen the storage-battery B is partially or wholly charged, and it isdesired to stop the machine A, the sliding rib P is moved into contactwith plates 1 and (3, thus taking the battery B out of the circuit andrestoring the resistance It. Themachine may nowbe brought to restwithout detriment.

Galvanometers G G are preferably provided as indices of the directionand strength of the currents traversing the various circuits.

In order to secure compactness and simplicity of the storagebattery, weprefer to construct it as follows A series of disks or plates, L L L,Fig. 2, of copper or other suitable metal, are arranged one aboveanother, and separated by rings \V \V, of earthenware, rubber, wood, orother properly -prepared substance not affording electrical contactbetween the copper plates. A convenient number of plates and rings arethus piled alternately and bolted firmly together between plates E E, asshown. The spaces between the copper disks L L L, &c., are filled with asaturated solution of zinc sulphate, or similar salt. Vhen the spacebetween any two disks, LL L,&c., is made small, we extend underneathsaid plates, and close to them, diaphragms F, of heavy felt. This is animproved construction of battery for which our before-mentioned LettersPatent of even date herewith are ranted. 7 7 a:

\Vhen the battery is subject to motion after or during charging-as, forexample, in ships or cars-we till the spaces between the plates withsand, broken pnmicc stone, sawdust, or the like.

The new feature of the construction of the storage-battery, Fig. 2,consists in making the lower plate ofone of the cells or divisions serveat the same time as an upper plate for the next lower cell or divisionin the series.

On connecting the lowestplate in the series with the positive terminalof a dynamo-electric machine, and the upper plate with the negativeterminal, metallic zinc is, during the running of said machine,deposited on the under surfaces of the copper plates, except the lowest,and copper sulphate formed on the upper surfaces of said disks, exceptthe uppermost. hen this action has been carried on for a sufficientlength of time the series of cells is charged, and then becomes acompact though powerful source of electrical current, the work of whichmay be recovered in the various forms of light, heat, mechanical motion,&c.

By combining a number of series, H H H E, Fig. 4, either alongside of orone above another, the operation of charging by the dynamo-electricmachine can be effected contemporaneously with the discharge of thebattery through its terminals I) d. In this case, at

regular intervals in the series of cells, conducting-wires extend fromthe copper plates,

the free extremities of which conducting-wires are placed in line uponan insulating support, and the terminals 1) d of the dynamo-electricmachine, used for charging, are necessarily brought into contact withconsecutive pairs of said terminals. shown in Fig. 1, between theterminal b of the dynamo-electric machine and Iof the battery,and'bctween at and II likewise, the current of the dynamo-electricmachine passes upward through the section or series II, therebyeffecting those changes which we characterize as charging said section,and this charging operation is effected, moreover, without interferingwith the strength of current being given out by the battery, foralthough the section H is not furnishing current, yet this deficiency ismade up by the branching which occurs from the circuit of thedynamo-electric ma chine through the remaining sections that are activein generating current. Thus, while the section that is being charged ispractically removed from action, yet its absence does not cause adecrease in the available current yielded by the battery. The chargingoperation is repeated for each of the sections II H H II by simplychanging the position of the terminals b (I of the dynamo-electricmachine.

Since by the method of charging above described but one portion of aseries of cells undergoes the operation at one time, the electromotiveforce generated by the complete series may be very much in excess ofthat which the dynamo electric machine itself could produce. By thismeans we increase the light-producing capacity ofany dynamo-electricmachine, which ,may be run during the time that the light is not neededto partially charge the sections H H H H, &e., and may continue to berun during the use of said sections to prolong the duration of thecharge.

The storage-battery 13, Fig. 5, may, after the passage of the current ofa dynamo-electric machine, be employed to furnish current either byitself or in conjunction with said machine. In the latter case thecurrent of the machine, after having been made to traverse the battery Bfor charging it, is reversed by a commutator, X, and a light sourceorother working resistance introduced into the circuit at g. In this casethe machine and battery intensify the effect of each other, and renderpossible the working through a higher resistance, as at q, than eitheralone could work through successfully.

Fi 6 represents the construction of the switch 0, Fig. 1, where 'P isattached to an arm pivoted at O, and the plates 1 2 3 4 5, Fig. 1, arearranged, as in Figs. 6 and 7 around the are of a circle concentric withO.

The set of plates 6, 7, S, 9, and 10, Fi 1, are arranged parallel to 1 23 4 5, Figs. 6 and 7, separated from them by a slot, through which thearm carrying the sliding piece P, Fig. 7 passes. The resistance-coils r1" r s s s are placed below, as shown.

The contact being effected, as

The electro-magnet D and its armature N, Fig. 1, are arranged as shownin Fig. 6, the armature being connected to the arm carrying the slidingpiece I, so that when P is brought into contact with the pieces 5 and10, Fig. 1, the armature N and magnet I) hold it in that position. If,however, the current circulating through the coils of the magnet 1)becomes weakened, its armature N is released and the arm Z is moved by aspring, S, so as to bring the sliding piece P into contact with thepieces 1 and 6, Fig. 1, performing in. this manner the functions of thecircuit-openerdescribedin connection with D andff, Fig. 1.

Having described our invention, we claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. In a system of electricalstorage, the

hereinbetore-described method of bringing a dynamo-electric machine intocircuit with a storage-battery, consisting in, first, bringing saidmachine to its normal condition of working by the interposition in itscircuit of a re' sistance, .1, and secondly, in afterward trans t'erringthe current of the machine to the'cir cnit of a storage-battery,substantially as set forth.

2. In a system of electrical storage, the combination of a normalworking resistance,

:1, and a storage-battery, 3', in the manner described, a gradualtransfer of the current developed by adynamo electric machine from theworking resistance It to the circuit of a storage-battery, 15, beingeffected by the successive addition to the resistance It o't graduatedresistances 7 r r and simultaneous suecessive removals from the circuitof a storage-battery ot', graduated resistances s s s, substantially asset forth.

3. In a system of electrical storage, the combination of a normalworking resistance, It, and a storage-battery, B, in the mannerdescribed, a gradual transfer of the current developed by adynamo-electric machine from the circuit of a storage-lmttery to theworking resistance B being ei't'ected by the successive introductioninto the circuit of a storage-battery of graduated resistances s s s andthe simultaneous removal of graduated resistances W1" 0' from thatbranch of the circuit in which the resistance R is included,substantially as set forth.

4. In asystem of electrical storage, l'or the purpose of preventinginjury due to the discharge of a storage-battery, 13, through adynamoelectric machine on the weakening of the current-producing powerof the latter from any cause, the combination of the eleetro-ma-gnet D,placed in the common circuit of said machine and battery, with thesliding piece I, connected to the armatureNot said electromaguet, thewhole being arranged to operate substantially as described.

5. In a system of electrical storage, a slow age battery or reservoirconsisting, substantially, of a series of metallic plates, L L L, &c.,placed one above another, and separated from one another by insulatingmaterial, \V W, made in the form of rings or of other suitable figure,so that cellular spaces are provided between each pair of said plates I;I/ L, &c., for the introduction ot a decomposable liquidsubstance,substantially as specified, and [or the purposes set forth.

6. In a system of electrical storage, the method hereinbet'ore describedof charging a storage-battery at the same time that said battery isfurnishing an electrical current, or of equally charging said battery bya dynamoelectric machine whose cleetro-motive power is less than thatyielded by the battery when charged, consisting in the division of saidbattery into sections ll Il Il each of which sections is separatelycharged by the passage of the current from a dyllame-electric machine,and which section's actin conjunction with one another in furnishingcurrent, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereto subscribed our names.

jlQljlllfU THOMSON. EDWIN J. IJ'OUWION.

'Wituesses:

J. P. UHEYNEY, S. (JuA'DwrcK.

